Pain is defined by Wikipedia as a distressing feeling caused by destructive stimuli. Pain can affect any person at different points in their lives and is often unique to each individual. Many people can say over the course of their lifetime that they have experienced pain. Because of this prevalence, it is important to understand the importance of pain management. However, in order to get to pain management, one must first properly assess the pain.

Pain can be broken down into two categories: acute pain and chronic pain. Acute pain is often caused by a surgical procedure or minor injury and usually subsides as your body heals. Chronic pain is persistent pain for longer than three months that occurs despite your body healing. Pain can affect an individual both physically and emotionally. The physical pain can lead to feelings of depression, irritability and fatigue, which can impact activities of daily living.

In pain management, a key component is listening to the patient and their self-report of their pain. If patients are unable to verbalize their pain, there are additional tools to assess pain. In order to define the proper pain management, you need to determine the cause of the pain, the location, and additional symptoms and factors.